Here’s a bass player that you may not be familiar with, but he makes a mark here on this disc that mixes the tradition with forward thinking. Michael Oien teams up with Matthew Stevens/g, Nick Videen/as, Jamie Reynolds/p and Eric Doob/dr for a collection of self-penned pieces sans a rich solo reading of the American Folk tune “All My Trials.” With his band, he creates a pastoral mood with Stevens’ acoustic guitarthat is blue in greenish on ”In the Early Autumn” while with the addition of Travis Laplante’s tenor with Stevens’ electric guitar, the band charges like a stampede on ”Mad to Live.” Oien includes a three part “Dreamer” suite which includes Videen’s declaratory alto declaratory on the dramatic “Part I” while the team nimbly bops on “Part II.” The team ebbs and flows with a forward pulse on “Ask Anyone” as a team and the softer “Smile This Mile” features Reynolds’ melodious piano. Mature and clever post bop sounds.
Fresh Sound Records